Senators on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee praised the nomination of Jennifer Clyburn Reed, daughter of House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), to serve as the first federal co-chair of the Southeast Regional Crescent Commission. Clyburn himself looked on during the Oct. 27 hearing from the live audience. The commission, which was authorized in 2008, is intended to parallel the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), an economic development organization first established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Since May 6, 2021, ARC’s federal co-chair has been Gayle Manchin, wife of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). Reed’s appointment would potentially enable the Senate to appropriate much larger amounts of money to the commission. President Biden’s May 2021 budget proposal, announced after Manchin’s appointment, included $235 million for ARC. “Having her [Clyburn Reed] in this role will allow this agency to fully commit its resources toward addressing economically distressed areas across …